Fluke anchor



Nov. 27, 1951 I E, B'URLESQN, 5 2,576,172

FLUKE ANCHOR Filed Sept. 13, 1949 INVENTOR Noe/W44 E. 5ue E80)! $9.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUKE ANCHOR Normal Edison Burleson, Sn, Knoxville, Tenn.

Application September 13, 1949, Serial No. 115,508

1 Claim. 1

' This invention relates to a releasable anchor, and more particularly to an anchor having flukes pivotally mounted on one end.

It is an object of this invention to provide a safety anchor of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter having a hollow shaft or shank member with the flukes pivotally mounted on one end thereof for releasable engagement with a fixed surface in such a manner that the flukes may be disengaged from a locking member upon the application of a predetermined force along the length of the shank.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety anchor of this kind which will securely moor a vessel in a selected position and which is automatically releasable upon the application of a dangerous force on the anchor line.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a safety anchor which will securely moor a vessel in a selected location and which is releasable without any special attention of the occupantsof the moored vessel.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction described in the specification and drawings herein but claim all variations and modifications falling within the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a releasable anchor constructed according to an embodiment of this invention showing, in full lines, the anchored position of the flukes and showing the released position of the flukes in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the releasable anchor.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing, in dotted lines, the flukes in their normal position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally a releasable safety anchor constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, having an elongated tubular shank member II provided with flukes I2 which are pivotally connected to one end of the shank If for swinging movement from a restricted anchor position to an unrestricted released position, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Preferably the shank I I and the hollow tubular transverse journal bearing I4, at one end' of the shank, are cast as an integral unit and the opposite side ends of the bearing I4 are disposed in longitudinal alignment with the side Walls of the shank member II. I

The bearing I4 is tubular in configuration and is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed openings I5 and I6 intermediate the length thereof which are aligned with the axis of the shank II. The shank II is open at the opposite ends and one end of the shank l I communicates with one of the openings in the bearing I4 as the opening I6, shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The opening IS, on the opposite side of the bearing I4 is disposed in alignment with the opening I6, on the bearing I4 and with bore I1 which extends longitudinally inwardly from one end of the shank II and terminates at a point spaced from the other end of the shank.

Each of the flukes I2 is formed with an elongated arm I 8 having a cylindrical sleeve I9 formed integral with one end of the arm and disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis thereof. The sleeves I9 are adapted to be fixedly secured to the opposite ends of a hollow tubular bearing pin 2|] which is rotatably engaged through the bearing I4 and extends beyond the opposite ends thereof. Radial pins 2| are engaged through the sleeves I9, of the flukes I2, and, through one end of the tubular pin 20 for fixedly,

securing the flukes in place with the convergent ends of the flukes disposed in close proximity to the opposite ends of the bearing I4 and side Walls of the shank II.

A longitudinally extending pull rod 22 is slidably engaged through the bore I1, of the shank I I, and is adapted to be engaged with the bearing pin 20 for limiting the pivotal movement of the flukes I2 to an arc of free swinging movement with the arms I8 extending divergently along the length of the shank I I. An abutment pin 24 is engaged through the inner end of the pull rod 22 within a counterbore 25 of the shank II to be engaged by one end of a compressible spring 26 also disposed within the counterbore 25. It is to be noted that the counterbore 25 is of larger diameter than the bore I1 and extends inwardly from the other end of the shank II and merges into the terminating point of the bore I1. The other end of the spring 26 abuts a shoulder 21, intermediate the length of the shank II so that the spring will constantly bias the pull rod 22 into locking engagement with the transverse bearing pin 20.

The transverse bearing pin 20 is formed with a circumferential arcuate slot 28 intermediate the length thereof. The inner end of the pull rod 22 is adapted to be received in the slot 28 toabut the opposite ends thereof for limiting free pivotal movement of the pin in the bearing M. A suitable washer or bearing member 29 is engaged between the abutment pin 24, on the lower end of the pull rod 22 and the outer sur-.

, said shank and extending longitudinally inward- The shaft 22 is rotatable within the hollow shank 7 anchor [B the arms 88 will normally extendalong the length of the shank IS. in a divergent manner, clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and with the pull rod 22 engaged in the slot the flukes will be free for limited swinging movement.

When an undue force is applied to the anchor rope -3l, as by large'w'ave's and the like, the pull rod 22 will be moved outwardly from the slot so' that the flukes l2 will be free for unlimited pivotal movement in the bearing i l and the anchor may then be freely raised into the vessel. 7

The portion of the shank ll containing the bore If! is of such a length as to substantially prevent bending of the pull rod 22.

- In Figure of the drawings, there is shown a modified form of releasable anchor it-A which is formed 'in' substantially the same manner as the anchor Hi described above, but a suitable restraining oranchor line 32 is connected to an eye34 fixed on the upper end of the shank l l-A. While a suitable pilot line 35 is connected to the eye -A'carried by the pull rod 224i. The'ane chor' Ill-A will normally be of a substantially greater size than the anchor H! for suitable use with a larger vessel and a foroe'along the length of the anchor line 32 will not release the 'flukes I2-A; but'will anchor the-boat to be released by an operator'inthe boat pulling on the pilot line 1y from said other end of the shank and merging into the terminating point of said bore, a hollow tubular journal bearing arranged transversely of and fixedly secured to said other end of said shank, the interior of said bearing being directly in communication with said counterbore of said shank, a hollow tubular bearing pin rotatably supported in said bearing, and having end'portions thereof projecting beyond the ends of said bearing, a pair of iiukes arranged in divergent spaced relation positioned longitudinally ,ofsaid shank and each having at its convergent end a sleeve slidably receiving the adjacent projecting end portion of said bearing pin, means connecting said sleeves to said bearing pin for rotation with the latter, said bearing pin being provided in the portion within said bearing with a circumferentially extending slot, a pull rod extending slidably' through the bore and counterboreof said shank and having one end projecting beyond said one endof said shank and having the other end projecting through said slot in said bearing-pin, the portion of said shank containing said bore being of such a length'as. to substantially prevent bending oftsaid pullrod, an abutment pin carried by said pull rod adjacent said other end of said rod, a coil spring positioned within said counterbore and ciroumposed about the, ad-;

jacent portion of said pull rod and having one, end

engaged with said abutmentpin and having the other end bearing against the terminating end of th shank bore for urging the other end of said poll rod to project into said slot, a washer slidably supported on said pull rod intermediatesaid abutment pin and said other end of said pull rod and engageable with said bearing pin for limiting the degree of projection of the other endof said pull rod into said slot; andline attaching means on said one projectingend of said pull rod.

Number Name 653,062 Bowers July 3, 1900 2,012,751 Buch et a1.- Aug. 27,1935 2,415,605 

